This Scenic Park Outside Raleigh Is An Artificial Lake Escape With Fishing, Boating, And Trails

Raleigh, known for its museums, restaurants, and busy downtown, is landlocked, but travelers may be surprised to find a serene destination not far from the city where they can spend an afternoon by the water. About 25 minutes southwest of the North Carolina capital, Harris Lake County Park occupies a 680-acre peninsula in New Hill, North Carolina. The lake feels peaceful and secluded, with its calm waters surrounded by pine forest and tall marsh grasses. On clear days, the water reflects these surrounding trees and the bright blue sky, making a visit even more picturesque. It may look natural, but Harris Lake is actually a reservoir that serves as a water source for the cooling operations at the nearby Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. 

The roughly 4,100-acre lake also serves as a popular recreation area and makes for a nice day trip from just about anywhere in the Triangle area. From Raleigh or Cary, visitors primarily follow U.S. Route 1 to Exit 89. Travelers arriving from Durham or Chapel Hill can take NC-540 before reaching U.S. Route 1. Visitors shouldn't arrive expecting to swim. Swimming is prohibited, and the park is designed mostly for activities such as hiking and mountain biking. According to its official brochure, the park also has a fishing pier, a stocked pond, and a car-top launch for kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards.

There are several ways anglers can cast a line at Harris Lake County Park, including the accessible fishing pier that extends over the lake. There, they'll find a wide range of species, including largemouth bass, black crappie, and numerous types of catfish. The park's website says a separate fishing pond nearby is also "stocked with Channel Catfish once a month from May to September," with trout stocking occurring in December. But to fish in these waters, visitors 16 and older will need to purchase an inland fishing license, which, for nonresidents, costs $29 for ten days.

Travelers wanting to explore more of the lake can use the park's car-top launch west of the fishing pier. Though it's not designed for watercraft transported on trailers, visitors can launch boats that fit on the top of a car, like kayaks and paddleboards. One past visitor on Google recommends launching during the weekday morning hours, saying, "Beautiful weather[,] and when there's no one else on the lake[,] lots of animals come out!" 

Before heading out, paddlers should check the weather and bring essentials like a life jacket, plenty of water, and sun protection. Looking for more water recreation opportunities around Raleigh? Consider visiting Lake Crabtree County Park, a pretty fishing and kayaking spot that's just 30 minutes from Harris Lake County by car. 

Those without a car-top watercraft can still enjoy the lake from land. The Peninsula Trail, for example, begins near the family picnic area and takes hikers on a 5-mile journey through stretches of lake shore and inland forest areas. On AllTrails, one hiker says the route is "well maintained, mostly flat, and easy to follow," although several other people note that recent construction makes some portions of the trail a bit tougher to navigate. 

Visitors who don't want to walk the 5-mile loop can follow one of the park's shorter interpretive trails. Wake County offers free, self-guided mobile tours that lead visitors to pre-selected areas, where they can get "text, audio, photos and videos" about the park's history and wildlife. Mountain bikers have a separate network of trails called Hog Run, which includes 7.1 miles of advanced routes, 2.9 miles of intermediate routes, and 0.7 miles of beginner routes.

After hiking or mountain biking, test your skills at the park's 19-hole disc golf course, take the kids to the playground, or settle in for a late lunch at one of its three reservable picnic shelters. Harris Lake County Park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset every day and has no entrance fee, making it an excellent low-cost weekend trip in the Triangle area. If you're searching for another lake park minutes from Raleigh with trails, add Lake Johnson to your itinerary.